Check out the video to the right to see a 4-minute time lapse of more than 42,000 hours of construction of the bridge.

CBS News reported[7] that, following a five-day closure of the bridge, the California Highway Patrol conducted a final security check and toll takers went back to work on Monday night, while cars lined up hours before the reopening.

Cars began lining up around 5:30 p.m. at the West Grand Avenue entrance of the span, according to Mercury News[8]. And by 8:30 p.m., 15 cars and 10 motorcycles were waiting to cross the newly-reopened bridge.

The first cars began crossing the bridge at about 10:15 p.m., CBS News reported.

Prior to the closure, the bridge had been estimated to reopen at 5 a.m. on Tuesday morning.

According to CBS San Francisco[9], a large public celebration — complete with more than 100,000 people, fireworks, a half marathon and a concert — had been originally planned for the reopening. However, the celebration didn’t occur (mostly due to delays and costs associated with the 11-year construction of the span), and, rather than the governor, California’s Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom led the private chain-cutting ceremony.

In addition to the SAS, the bridge includes upgrades such as a side-by-side configuration, wider road decks with shoulders on either side, a 15.5-foot-wide bike/pedestrian path and a new lighting system. More details about the bridge are available at baybridgeinfo.org[2].

While it’s been deemed safe to use, the East Span of San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge still needs more work, according to The Sacramento Bee‘s report. The span is slated for completion in December.

Check out the video to the right to see a 4-minute time lapse of more than 42,000 hours of construction of the bridge.

CBS News reported[7] that, following a five-day closure of the bridge, the California Highway Patrol conducted a final security check and toll takers went back to work on Monday night, while cars lined up hours before the reopening.

Cars began lining up around 5:30 p.m. at the West Grand Avenue entrance of the span, according to Mercury News[8]. And by 8:30 p.m., 15 cars and 10 motorcycles were waiting to cross the newly-reopened bridge.

The first cars began crossing the bridge at about 10:15 p.m., CBS News reported.

Prior to the closure, the bridge had been estimated to reopen at 5 a.m. on Tuesday morning.

According to CBS San Francisco[9], a large public celebration — complete with more than 100,000 people, fireworks, a half marathon and a concert — had been originally planned for the reopening. However, the celebration didn’t occur (mostly due to delays and costs associated with the 11-year construction of the span), and, rather than the governor, California’s Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom led the private chain-cutting ceremony.

In addition to the SAS, the bridge includes upgrades such as a side-by-side configuration, wider road decks with shoulders on either side, a 15.5-foot-wide bike/pedestrian path and a new lighting system. More details about the bridge are available at baybridgeinfo.org[2].

While it’s been deemed safe to use, the East Span of San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge still needs more work, according to The Sacramento Bee‘s report. The span is slated for completion in December.